i 1 4 Sikine Group 



Distribution. — Japan and Northern China. 



Habits. — Nothing or" importance has been recorded of the habits of these 

 pretty little deer in their native country. In English and Irish parks they 

 thrive exceedingly well, and have much the same general habits as red deer. 

 The cry of the bucks in the pairing-season is a kind of whistle, sometimes 

 passing into a scream. In Lord Powerscourt's park male sikas have crossed 

 with red deer hinds. In view of Sir Victor Brooke's statement as to the true 

 red deer refusing to interbreed with the Caspian race of the same species, 

 this is a most remarkable circumstance. Two pairs of antlers belonging 

 to the hybrid race are preserved in the British Museum, both of which 

 possess bez-tines. In the park at Woburn Abbey, where these deer run 

 with the tallow and red deer, they feed chiefly by grazing, although they 

 eagerly take boughs when offered. When startled and running off, 

 these and the Manchurian sikas expand and dilate the long white 

 hairs of the caudal disk, thereby increasing the distinctness of this con- 

 spicuous recognition mark. 



b. Manchurian Race — Cervus sica manchuricus 



Cervus mantchuricus, Swinhoe, Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1864, p. 169, 1865, p. 1 ; 

 Sclater, Trans. Zoo/. Soc. vol. vii. p. 344 (1871) ; Brooke, Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 

 1878, p. 908; Moellendorff, Zoo/. Jahrb. 1887, p. 588 ; Ward, Records of 

 Big Game, p. 21 (1896). 



Pseudaxis mantcburica, Gray, Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mas. p. 72 (1872), 

 Hand- list Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 141 (1873). 



Cervus kopsc/ii, Swinhoe, Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1873, p. 574; Brooke, ibid. 

 1 878, p. 909. 



Elaphoceros mantc/iuricus, Fitzinger, SB. Ak. Wien, vol. lxix. part i. 

 p. 597 (1874). 



Axis mantsc/iuricus, Riitimeyer, Abh. schweiz. pal. Ges. vol. viii. p. 93 

 (1881). 



Cervus sica manchuricus, Lydekker, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1897, P* 39- 



Plate VII 



Characters. — Size larger than the last, the height at the shoulder ranging 

 up to 3 feet 3 inches. The white area in the region of the tail much 

 -mailer, so as scarcely to be apparent in a side view, but completely bordered 



